Dance On A Berkeley (Highland HL094/95#G15)
Community Center, Berkeley, CA – April 29th, 1976
Disc 1 (53:23): Dance On A Volcano, The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, Fly On A Windshield, The Carpet Crawlers, The Cinema Show, Robbery Assault & Battery, White Mountain, Firth Of Fifth
Disc 2 (53:44): Entangled, Squonk, Supper’s Ready, I Know What I Like, Los Endos, It, Watcher Of The Skies
Genesis’ April 29th show at the Community Center in Berkeley occurs a month into the Trick Of A Tail tour, their first with Phil Collins as lead singer. The tape source is good but a bit fuzzy and distorted. There are some cuts scattered throughout the the show including several song introductions like Mike Rutherford’s story before “White Mountain” and much of the Steve Hackett’s “Entangled” story. There is a digital scratch at the very beginning of “Carpet Crawlers” and also the first few seconds of “Supper’s Ready” and the first two minutes of “Los Endos” are gone.
Dance On A Berkeley is a 1997 Highland release and is the only silver pressed version of Berkeley. Despite its limitations it is a good recording to have. The show isn’t as well known as the Pittsburgh or Cleveland shows, but it is a very strong performance which is enjoyable.
The tape begins as “Dance On A Volcano” in progress. Collins labels the following medley “Lamb Stew” which also includes “Broadway Melody of 1974” as it transitions into “Carpet Crawlers.” Collins sang the higher harmony line in performance during the Lamb tour with Gabriel handling the lower register. But Collins had perfected by this time his delivery.
“The Cinema Show” assumed the place as the the long instrumental tour-de-force on this tour. The dramatic narrative of the piece is punctuated by the long, hypnotic instrumental interlude lead by Tony Bank’s keyboards. Berkeley’s version is particularly enjoyable. The same claim can be made for “White Mountain.” It was only performed on this tour (there is no evidence of it being performed during the Tresspass era) and is a simple yet effective narrative piece.
Before “Firth Of Fifth” Collins introduces Bill Bruford who comes at great expense for “$4.” Bruford mentioned years later how much hated playing these songs and was vocal about it, and one wonders if Collins’ introduction of Bruford is imbued with sarcasm.
Hackett gives the “perils one might encounter on a psychiatrist’s couch” before a pretty version of “Entangled.” The highlight of the second half of the program is “Supper’s Ready,” included in the set list for the first time in many years. The set ends with a standard “Los Endos,” played as it was recorded for Trick Of A Tail. The encore is “It” segueing into the two minute instrumental “Watcher Of The Skies.” This is the only reference to the Foxtrot classic and makes one wonder why Collins never attempted to sing it. Dance On A Berkeley is another hard to find Highland that is worth tracking down.
